Flora Bodega

The inspired cakes, frittatas, and pastries served up by Flora Bodega combine years of skill with art, whimsy, and natural talent. Angela Chase is the woman behind the shop that sells her creative and beautiful confections alongside those from a variety of curated local vendors like Lovera’s, Della Terra Pasta, and more.

One of my highlights during these pandemic times was sharing a Flora Bodega cake in the park for a socially distanced birthday hang.

“The cake had a pink buttercream layer made from extra strawberries from another cake and a gelée layer of Nanking cherry juice leftover from pitting for scones,” says Chase. “It’s a cycle of waste control through flavors and resources. I knew I wanted to dress another tiered cake with a meringue, so I made enough to fully crown the cake because I knew she would appreciate the different textures and layers.”

Chase is an essential member of the Paseo Farmers Market board and has worked together with them to bring it to its current success and soon to be new brick-and-mortar space.

She got her start in the kitchen at Braum’s when she was just sixteen. After working in AutoCAD design for awhile, she found herself back in food work, ranging from kitchens to specialty foods. She worked as a pastry chef at Jones Assembly for a time before striking out on her own to sell her products at the Paseo Farmer’s Market in 2017.

The name Flora Bodega came to her as a combination of her love of using flowers and her interest in the microbiology of gut flora, including how microorganisms work inside the human digestive tract.

When quarantine hit and the Paseo Farmers Market was still figuring out a plan, she was getting specialty orders from friends and past patrons for desserts.

Chase is pretty used to being resourceful, so initially during quarantine, it was easy to figure out what she could construct just using items she already had on hand or in her garden. When organic flour got scarce, she was able to rely on some of her favorite gluten-free recipes.

“Over time, I’ve developed a recipe for my cakes that allows me to spin different variations and flavors from the core method,” says Chase. “Since that has been established and I’ve come to fully embrace the evolution that works, it has allowed me to use up extra or excess product on hand. If I’m sitting on citrus they become cake batter flavorings, from there I can complement with types of chocolate, extracts or natural coloring.”

When the Paseo Farmers Market decided to venture into online shopping, she was able to translate some of what she’d learned through her own online sales requests to help create an ordering system with other local purveyors.

Like most vendors, Chase has actually seen an increase in sales during this time. The convenience, the safety, and the way people have ample time to keep track of what products are coming up have all helped make it a really successful program for everyone.

Previously, a lot of food and restaurant industry people might have had trouble making it to a Saturday market, but now they can reserve what items they want ahead of time and pick them up.

Chase is looking forward to the Paseo Farmers Market brick-and-mortar location opening so Flora Bodega can operate as both an online store and booth location with its own product line that people can enjoy at any time of year.

Order from Flora Bodega online or message Chase for specialty orders at paseofarmersmarket.square.site/shop/41.